The Hour Glass figure
The hourglass body figure is a popular body shape characterized by a bust (Or chest) and hip that is nearly equal in measurement. The form also includes a petite waistline, with the natural waistline being the narrowest point of the body. The hourglass shape is commonly attributed to women, so it may be a source of worry and reduced self-esteem if a man sports this shape. Some men may be completely fine with the hourglass shape; however other men may not and seek to change it.
While the hourglass shape is difficult to lose because of its genetic origin, there are a few tricks you can employ to alter your body shape positively. Additionally, a gym membership will not be necessary as you can perform the exercises at home.
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Remedies for men with an hourglass figure
There is no direct way to reduce your pelvis, which is the cause of your wide hip but increasing the muscle mass on your legs, core, obliques, and upper body can help to reduce the difference between your pelvis and the rest of your body.
Core exercises
Core exercises are an essential part of a holistic fitness program. They are commonly shunned, except for popular core exercises like the occasional situps and pushups. Nevertheless, building up your core can help you diminish your hourglass figure in time.
Core exercises typically train the muscles in your lower back, pelvis, hips, and abdomen to work in alignment. This generally results in better stability and balance, whether in daily activities or on the playing field. Additionally, core exercises give you a more muscular and bulkier abdominal region. This subsequently reduces the hourglass shape as your abdominal region gets wider and matches the pelvic length.
Core exercises are remarkably easy to perform, and you don’t need (a lot of) weights, or a gym membership, to effectively work them. This is because any exercise that employs your back and abdominal muscles in a coordinated manner counts as a core exercise. Examples of core exercises include planks, bicycle crunches, Russian twist, ab rolls, situps, leg raises, and many more.
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In addition to helping men with the hourglass figure lose the figure, core exercises also help you tone your abs. While you require aerobic activity to lose any abdominal fat, core exercises can also tone and strengthen the underlying muscles. Core exercises also enable you to do several activities day-to-day activities.
Core exercises are also useful for realizing your fitness goals. This is because aerobic exercise and muscular fitness are the main elements of many fitness programs.
Upper body exercises
Upper body exercises can also help with losing the hourglass figure as it goes a long way in giving you a bigger torso. A bigger torso, in turn, gives you a wider chestal area which can draw attention from your wide hips. Working on your upper body, especially the lats and rhomboid muscles on your back, can help you develop a V-taper.
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Upper body workouts commonly target the pectoralis muscles, the lats, traps, biceps, triceps, rhomboids, delts, etc.
Unlike core exercises, you may require weights and machines to build your upper body effectively. Typical upper body workouts include Pushups, bench presses, dumbbell raises, lateral raises, lat pulldowns, military curls, overhead presses, etc. If a gym is unavailable, you can employ pushups and their different variations, burpees, tricep dips, etc.
In addition to reducing the hourglass effect, upper body workouts also help increase your overall body coordination and increase your arm strength for other activities like swimming and cycling. They also improve athletic performance, posture, decrease chances of age-related atrophy, and confidence with daily tasks.
Leg workouts
Leg workouts can help you reduce the hourglass shape as you bulk up your thighs and legs. Bulking your lower body subsequently makes it wider and proportional to the hips, reducing the hourglass appearance. You can target different parts of your legs, including your quadriceps, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, adductor, and calves.
When designing your leg workout, it is essential to always remember to make your workouts simpler. In addition, you should ensure that the primary lower body movements, including squats, hip hinges (deadlifts), and lunges, constitute most of your program.
You can train your leg muscles in the gym with barbell squats, kettlebell lunges, leg curls, deadlifts, or leg extensions. However, you can also incorporate bodyweight workouts at home if you don’t have access to a gym.
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Obliques workouts
Obliques are two sets of internal and external muscles that are commonly referred to as side abs. They work together to enable you to rotate your torso from right to left, bend side-to-side, and help with spinal flexion. The obliques also resist rotation to assist in stabilizing and protecting your spine. They're an essential muscle group for stability.
Because obliques are at the sides of your abdomen, making them bigger and more muscular gives your abdominal region a wider appearance. As we have established earlier, a wider abdominal region reduces the general hourglass appearance as your abdominal region evens out to match the hips.
You can build your obliques by performing various bodyweight and weighted programs. These exercises include the Copenhagen plank, the offset dumbbell squat, the single-arm overhead press, or the side plank.
In addition to losing your hourglass shape, working your obliques can also help you gain other physical benefits. A primary example is that stronger obliques reduce your chances of lower backache as they are attached to your spine. As a result, your spine’s curvature will deepen and create pressure on your discs, vertebrae, and other adjoining muscles if your obliques are not.
Men with an hourglass shape may have to also work on their mental health as they develop their physical capabilities. Nevertheless, it’s important to avoid self-blame as creating an hourglass shape results from your genetic traits rather than any physical activities or inactivity. While developing your body to reduce the hourglass effect, you can wear loose clothes rather than fitted ones to avoid unwelcome attention.
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